WO2003047957A1

WO2003047957A1 - Anchor dropper

Info

Publication number: WO2003047957A1
Application number: PCT/SE2002/001862
Authority: WO
Inventors: Owe Lundberg; Birgitta Lundberg
Original assignee: Owe Lundberg; Birgitta Lundberg
Priority date: 2001-10-31
Filing date: 2002-10-24
Publication date: 2003-06-12
Also published as: SE0103618D0; AU2002343295A1; SE0103618L; SE522737C2

Abstract

An anchor dropper 1 for an anchor 32, intended to be attached to a vessel, where the anchor dropper 1 includes a lock mechanism 3 for locking/unlocking the anchor 32. In order to not having to leave the steering wheel of the vessel when about to drop anchor 32, the lock mechanism 3 is opened (unlocked) for by means of a remote release unit 7, causing the anchor 32 to be dropped by its own weight.

Description

ANCHOR DROPPER _j

DESCRIPTION

The present invention is an anchoring device or "Anchor dropper" which is intended to be mounted on a vessel. When an anchor is to be dropped from a vessel (pleasure boat) - the anchor is normally dropped manually. Mechanical (automatic) anchor winches (windlasses) are rather expensive. Further on, they are normally not made to fit smaller vessels. It is "no problem" to drop the anchor manually if there are, at least, two persons on board the vessel or if the weather conditions and other circumstances makes it possible to leave the steering wheel/corresponding. If there is only one person on board the vessel and the weather conditions are bad or if, for example, there are other vessels quite close, dropping the anchor is not that easy. There is an obvious risk of hurting oneself or damaging the vessel when having to leave the steering wheel in order to drop the anchor. In a closed vessel, equipped with "doghouse" for, example, it is even more difficult to cast anchor since it in that case normally is extra troublesome to reach the anchor.

The present invention, the "anchor dropper", is a solution to the problems described above. The anchor dropper is intended to be mounted stationary on a vessel. By use of a remote release unit that affects a lock mechanism, the anchor can be dropped from any predestinated position in the vessel, preferably beside the steering wheel. It is suggested that the anchor is dropped while the vessel is still moving slowly forward towards the landing stage/ corresponding . Since the anchor is dropped, by use of a (stationary)

"remote release unit", a single person can, without any problem, manoeuvre the vessel and drop the anchor at the same time . The remote release unit can use electricity, hydraulics or pneumatics in order to control the anchor lock mechanism.

It is preferable to use a system that is already in use on most vessels, which would probably be electricity.

The anchor dropper has a plain and unsophisticated, but very functioning design and it is cheap compared to mechanical (automatic) anchor winches (windlasses) .

The anchor can be stored in the anchor dropper all the time when not having been dropped into the water.

This means that it is no longer necessary to find a stowage for the anchor on board.

Besides, by storing the anchor in the anchor dropper, the anchor is always ready to be dropped.

The anchor dropper is suitable, especially for closed vessels (with for example "dog house") since there, if using the anchor dropper, is no need to leave the steering wheel when about to drop the anchor.

The anchor dropper according to the invention is intended to be mounted stationary on a vessel.

The safety on board is increased considerably if using an anchor dropper according to the invention.

The characteristic features of the invention are described in the patent claims . BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows an anchor dropper mounted at the stern of a vessel.

Figure 2 shows the preferred design of the anchor dropper.

Figure 3 shows a cross-section of the anchor cradle.

Figure 4 shows the lock-mechanism (in fig. 2) in locked (closed) position.

Figure 5 shows the lock-mechanism (in fig. 2) in unlocked (open) position.

Figure 6 shows a different design solution of the lock-mechanism.

Figure 7 shows yet another design solution of the lock-mechanism. Figure 8 shows an attachment plate for the anchor dropper.

Figure 9 shows another design solution of the anchor cradle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Below, the invention is described more in detail. This includes also references to drawings, showing some different design solutions of the invention. Figure 2 shows an anchor dropper 1 for a vessel, where the anchor dropper 1 includes a house 6 with a lock mechanism 3 for an anchor 32. The lock mechanism 3 is unlocked by use of a remote release unit 7. The lock mechanism 3 includes, in figure 4, 5 and 6, a lock device 9 which is possible to rotate around a lock shaft 10.

The anchor 32 is supposed to be attached to the lock device 9, for example by using a schackle 31. The lock mechanism 3 includes also a lock peg device 8, with a peg 35 and a piston 34, which is, at least partly, arranged in a drop releaser 19.

The piston 34 can be moved in to and out from the drop releaser 19. The peg 35 is dependent up on the position of the piston 34. In the design solution according to figure 4 and 5, the lock peg device 8 consist of a tube shaped piston 34 which has a peg 35 at its outer end. When the piston 34 is pulled (pushed) down, the peg 35 will rest against the lock device 9 in order to prevent the lock device 9 from rotating around the lock shaft 10. The anchor 32 is thereby locked in raised (transport) position.

The remote release unit 7 includes a control unit 24 which is intended for activation of the anchor dropper 1. The control unit 24 includes a main switch 11, a warning lamp 14 and a release activator 15 (switch in this case) .

The control unit 24 can, for example, be mounted beside the steering wheel, as shown in figure 2.

The remote release unit 7 includes also a signal transfer device 13 (in this case an electrical wire) for transfer of an activation (drop the anchor) signal from the control unit 24 to the drop releaser 19.

When the anchor 32 shall be dropped, the main switch 11 shall be pushed to its "ON-position" (Power ON) . Then the warning lamp 14 will light and the anchor 32 can be dropped by pushing the release activator 15 (switch in this case) so that power/current can reach the drop releaser 19, via the signal transfer device 13. Concerning the function, it would of course be sufficient using only one switch in order to drop the anchor 32, but it is concidered suitable, from a safety point of view, to use two switches. This makes it less likely that the anchor 32 is dropped "by mistake". The remote release unit 7 is, in the shown design solution, also connected to a (not shown) power source (12 or 24 VDC) .

The drop releaser 19 includes an electro magnet for pulling in the piston 34. The piston 34 is (preferably by use of a spring) in its "pushed out position", as long as the electro magnet is not powered.

When power is added to the drop releaser (19) through activation via the control unit 24, the piston 34 is pulled back by the electro magnet. In that case, the lock device 9 will rotate and the anchor 32 will, by its own weight, slide off the lock device 9 and the anchor 32 is thereby dropped in to the water. In figure 5, the lock mechanism 3 (design solution according to figure 4) is shown in open position. The lock device 9 is preferably shaped in such way that it is prevented from rotating too far forward or backward. As shown in figure 4 and 5, this can be accomplished by providing the lock device 9 with a wide base, where its corners will hit the house JS when the lock device has rotated a bit (to the desired position) .

As soon as the power to the drop releaser 19 is turned off, via the control unit 24, the piston 34 will return to its original drawn-out position and the lock peg device 8 is thereby in locked position. In other words, the lock mechanism 3 is locked.

The lock peg device 8 can also be opened manually, in this design solution by pulling the loop 23, which is connected to the piston 34. This is a safety arrangement, securing that it is possible to drop the anchor 32 even if there is a failure at the remote release unit 7 or the power source. Naturally, there are innumerable ways of designing the lock mechanism 3. For example, it can be made as shown in figure 6. In that case the lock peg device 8 includes a piston 34 that, at its outer end, has a hole 36 in which it is intended that the front part 38 of a lever 37 shall be arranged. The lever 37 can rotate round a lever shaft 39 and includes the peg 35. When the piston 34 is in its "pushed out position", the lever 37 is pushed down, since its front part 38 is arranged in the hole 36 of the piston 34. The peg 35 is then resting against the lock device 9 and the lock peg device 8 (and thereby the lock mechanism 3) is locked. When the piston 34 is pulled back in, the lever 37 is lifted and rotates round the lever shaft 39, causing the peg 35 to leave its hold of the lock device 9, which can rotate round the lock shaft 10. Accordingly, the anchor 32 is dropped. This design solution will reduce the load on (and thereby the need of force from) the drop releaser 19/piston 34. The lock mechanism can also be shaped as shown in figure 7, where the lock peg de ice 8 is running through the schackle 31. In thi^s casej ^s well as in the examples according to figure 4 and 5, the lock peg device 8 includes a tube shaped piston 34 which, at its outer end, has a peg 35 that is resting against the lock device 9 as long as the piston 34 is in its "pushed out position". However, in this design solution, the piston 34 is considerably longer than in the former ones. The lock device 9 includes a stop surface 20 with a lock edge 18. In figure 7 the stop surface 20 consists of a plate and the lock edge 18 consists of a hole/cavity in the plate. When the piston 34 is in its "pushed out position", the peg 35 shall rest against the lock edge 18 in order to prevent the shackle 31 from sliding off the lock peg device 8 and to make the side forces, that will affect the lock peg device 8 and the drop releaser 19, as small as possible. When the anchor 32 is to be dropped, the piston 34 is pulled back. The lock peg device 8 is thereby withdrawn from the schackle 31 and the anchor 32 is dropped. With this design solution, the travel range of the piston 34 must be longer than in the other design solutions described. The anchor dropper 1 also include a stabilization device 4, which shall ensure that the anchor 32 can not move/sway freely as the vessel is moving and an anchor director 5 which shall ensure that the anchor 32, when dropped, is dropped at a safe distance from the vessel. The stabilization device 4 and the anchor director 5 are, at least partly, included in the showed design solution in a U-shaped anchor cradle 25, where the anchor 32 is to be stored when having weighed anchor. A cross section of the anchor cradle 25 is shown in figure 3. It can be seen that the anchor cradle 25 consists of one bottom part 26 and two side parts 27. The anchor cradle 25 is preferably arranged with a prolongable strut 41^" in order to make it possible to direct the anchor cradle 25 to a suitable inclination. Thus, the prolongable strut 41 is a part of the anchor director 5. The side parts 27 of the anchor cradle 25 prevents the anchor 32 from swaying freely when stored in "transport position" (stabilization device 4) . It is important that the anchor 32, when leaving the anchor cradle 25, drops into the water at such distance from the vessel that the anchor 32 does not hit the vessel, rudder, propeller or other parts that can be damaged by the anchor 32. To secure this, the anchor cradle 25 shall (when mounted on a vessel) be elongated and have such an inclination that its outer edge 28 is at least 25-30 cm from the vessel. The total length of the anchor dropper 1 shall be -30-60 cm. However, these measurements are only an example, since they are of course dependent up on how the anchor dropper 1 is mounted on the vessel, how the vessel is shaped and how the anhcor 32 is shaped.

If allowed by the shape of the vessel, the anchor dropper 1 can of course be shaped and mounted in such way that the anchor is dropped closer to the vessel.

The anchor cradle 25 shall also be mounted with such an inclination that the anchor 32 will, by help of its own weight, fall into the water when the lock mechanism 3 is opened. The angle of incline shall be at least 30° relatively horizontal position. If the angle of inclination is 90°, the total weight of the anchor 32 will be carried by the lock mechanism 3. If the angle is less than 90° (for example 30°) , the weight of the anchor 32 will be spread between the anchor cradle 25 and the lock mechanism 3 which is to prefer. The anchor cradle 25 may also be mounted in horizontal position. The anchor 32 is in that case dropped by means of the lever principle . In order to direct the anchor cradle 25 to the desired inclination, the prolongable strut 41 shall be used. At one end, the prolongable strut 41, is attached to the anchor cradle 25. The other end is indended to be attached and to the vessel. The length of the prolongable strut 41 (between the anchor cradle 25 and the vessel) is adjustable. This makes it possible to set the desired inclination. To make the prolongable strut 41 adjustable, it can for example consist of two tubes of different diameters, where one of the tubes can be put in to the other and locked at the desired position. It is also possible to use a thread on the tubes. At the outer edge 28 of the anchor cradle 25, there is a roller 22, indended to minimize the wear of the anchor cradle 25 and the anchor line 16 when the anchor is dropped/raised. The anchor cradle 25 is also an anchor protection device 21 in which the anchor 32 (at least the main part of it) is intended to be stored when it is raised (transport position) . Storing the anchor 32 in the anchor cradle 25 means that it will no longer be necessary to store the anchor 32, which is often wet and muddy, in some stowage on board. Further on, it eliminates the risk of scratching the vessel while carrying the anchor 32 and best of all, the anchor 32 will constantly, without any preparations, be ready to be dropped. It is preferable that an anchor movement absorber 40 is applied some centimeters within or at the outer edge 28 of the anchor cradle 25. The anchor movement absorber 40 shall prevent the anchor 32 from bouncing in the anchor dropper 1 when affected by for example big waves . The anchor movement absorber 40 can consist of a piece of steel tube, attatched between the two side parts 27 of the anchor cradle 25. The anchor movement absorber 40 can also, as shown in figure 2, consist of a rubber ring (elastic band) , which is thread over the anchor cradle 25. This latter solution is preferable as long as the inclination of the anchor dropper 1 (when mounted) is not too high, i.e as long as the anchor 32 is dropped by means of the lever principle. The rubber ring will in that case come loose (from the anchor dropper 1) as the anchor 32 is dropped, hanging around the anchor 32 instead. When the anchor 32 is raised, the rubber ring will still be hanging around the anchor 32, ready to be thread over the anchor cradle 25 again.

The anchor cradle 25 may be a separate unit, but is preferably made as one unit together with the house 6, according to figure 2. The stabilization device 4, anchor director 5, anchor protection device 21 and the house 6 can of course be designed in several different ways. The anchor cradle 25 can for example be made out of (stainless) steel tubes, which are bent and put together in the shape of a U-profile, as shown in figure 9.

The anchor line 16 which can be of any ordinary type (line/rope, band, chain or corresponding) shall preferably run at the same side of the lock mechanism 3 as the anchor 32, as shown in figure 2. The anchor line 16 is preferably stored on an anchor line reel 17 (there are several types at the marine asccessories market, for example the Ankoralina spool) . The anchor line reel 17 ensures in a better way that the anchor line 16 will run smoothly without getting entangled as the anchor 32 is dropped. The anchor dropper 1 includes also an attachment device 2 to be used when attaching the anchor dropper 1 to a vessel. The attachment device 2 can be seen in figure 1 and 2. For a closer and more detailed view, see figure 8. The attachment device 2 consist of an attachment plate 29 which is, via a hinge 30, attached to the house 6. This makes it possible to raise/lower the anchor dropper 1 which is necessary for example when setting the desired inclination of the anchor dropper 1 (as described earlier) . The attachment plate 29 has mounting holes 33 or making it possible to use bolts/screws when attaching the anchor dropper 1 to a vessel. The attachment device 2, house 6, stabilization device 4, anchor director 5 and the anchor protection device 21 can be separate units or two or more together form one common unit .

In the showed design solution, the stabilization device 4, anchor director 5 and the anchor protection device 21 are formed by the U-shaped anchor cradle 5, which is one unit together with the house 6. In order to avoid problems due to corrosion, the anchor dropper 1 is preferably made of stainless steel or armoured plastic.

Instead of being controlled by means of an electro magnet, the piston 34 might use an electrical screw jack, hydraulics, pneumatics or it might be controlled manually via for example a wire. In that case, the drop releaser 19 and the remote release unit 7 must be adapted to the technique used. If choosing to control the piston 34 by means of hydraulics for example, the electro magnet must be replaced by a hydraulically driven piston/cylinder and the signal transfer device 13 must be replaced by a hose. The important thing is that the signal transfer device 13 is reliable and working without interference. This means that the signal from the control unit 24 to the drop releaser 19 must not be interrupted. To ensure this, the signal transfer device 13 shall be arranged stationary. The remote release unit 7 might also consist of a transmitter and a receiver. These are, in that case, not physically connected to each other (no electrical wire or corresponding) . The receiver is preferably arranged at the drop releaser 19, providing the electro magnet with (electrical) power (opening the lock mechanism 3) as soon as a signal is received from the transmitter. The control unit 2^ can be designed in many different ways as well. Naturally, the design solution is dependant up on the chosen technique of signal transfer. There are several possible solutions, of course, also concerning how to design the lock mechanism 3. It is possible to attach the anchor dropper 1 to the stern or the stem. In some cases it might even be suitable to attach one anchor dropper 1 at the stern and another at the stem.

Naturally, the present invention is not bound to the showed design solution, but can be varied/modified within the limits of the patent claims and with respect to its description and figures.

Claims

1. Anchor dropper 1 for anchor 32, which is intended to be attached to a vessel, caracterized by a lock mechanism 3 for locking/unlocking the anchor 32, where the lock mechanism 3 by means of a remote release unit 7 is opened (unlocked) in order to drop the anchor 32, which is dropped by its own weight.

2. Anchor dropper 1 according to claime 1, characterized by a remote release unit 7, including a control unit 24, intended for activation of the anchor dropper 1 and a signal transfer device 13, intended for transfer of an activation signal from the control unit 24 to the lock mechanism 3, where the signal transfer device 13 is designed and intended to be arranged in such way that it will not cause any interference of (the transfer of) the activation signal.

Anchor dropper 1 according to claim 2, characterized by a stabilization device 4, intended to ensure that the anchor 32 can not move/sway freely as the vessel is moving.

4. Anchor dropper 1 according to any of the claims above, characterized by an anchor director 5, intended to ensure that the anchor 32, when dropped, is dropped at a safe distance from the vessel.

5. Anchor dropper 1 according to any of the claims above, characterized by an anchor protection device 21 in which the anchor 32, at least the main part of it, is intended to be stored when the anchor 32 is raised (transport position) .

6. Anchor dropper 1 according to any of the claims above, characterized by the fact that the lock mechanism 3 includes a lock peg device 8 with a peg 35 which together with a lock device 9 shall be able to close (lock) the lock mechanism 3.

7. Anchor dropper 1 according to claim 6, characterized by the fact that the lock peg device 8 includes a piston 34 which is, partly, arranged in a drop releaser 19 which includes an electro magnet, intended to pull in the piston 8 in order to open (unlock) the lock mechanism 3.